Best Early Childhood Education Schools Near El Mirage, AZ

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

El Mirage, Arizona has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs, with tuition ranging from $2,358 to $54,792 per year for indexed programs. El Mirage has a population of about 35,823. Median household income is $74,764 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 14.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Kindergarten Teacher at a median $56,920 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to El Mirage

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer early childhood education programs near El Mirage, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from El Mirage city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from El Mirage. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Glendale Community College

Glendale, AZ 8.0 miles from El Mirage
  • 4 year
42.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,108
Avg net price $11,650/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Arizona Christian University

Glendale, AZ 8.7 miles from El Mirage
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
30.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,612
Avg net price $32,839/yr
Tuition
In‑state$35,098
Out‑of‑state$35,098
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 54%
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, AZ 12.5 miles from El Mirage
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
33.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,186
Avg net price $22,472/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 108

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Phoenix College

Phoenix, AZ 15.7 miles from El Mirage
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 20%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,870
Avg net price $12,055/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 99

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Paradise Valley Community College

Phoenix, AZ 18.7 miles from El Mirage
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,196
Avg net price $12,180/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Phoenix-Arizona

Phoenix, AZ 21.9 miles from El Mirage
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
30.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,752
Avg net price $13,520/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 41%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

South Mountain Community College

Phoenix, AZ 22.2 miles from El Mirage
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
38.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 16%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,825
Avg net price $12,780/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,358
Out‑of‑state$8,958
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Aspen University

Phoenix, AZ 23.4 miles from El Mirage
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
39.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Tuition
In‑state$6,870
Out‑of‑state$6,870
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 48%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:Accreditor: Distance Education Accrediting CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Arizona schools on the Arizona early childhood education page.

Early Childhood Education Wages Near El Mirage

El Mirage is part of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area (BLS area code 38060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Arizona statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teacher $36,500 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $35,334
Kindergarten Teacher $56,920 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $55,102
Preschool and Childcare Center Director $48,630 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $47,076
Teaching Assistant $36,450 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $35,286

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

El Mirage at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 35,823 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $74,764 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 14.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other El Mirage-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited early childhood education schools are near El Mirage, AZ?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near El Mirage. The closest is Estrella Mountain Community College in Avondale, AZ (7.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Phoenix College (15.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying early childhood education roles near El Mirage?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near El Mirage are: Kindergarten Teacher ($56,920), Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($48,630), Preschool Teacher ($36,500). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Arizona statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Glendale instead of El Mirage?

Glendale, AZ is 5.9 miles from El Mirage and has its own set of local early childhood education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is El Mirage an affordable place to study early childhood education?

El Mirage’s median household income of $74,764 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in El Mirage while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Arizona public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Early Childhood Education Programs

Other Programs Available in El Mirage

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for El Mirage:

Data verified: September 6, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Arizona (2026)